Anna Jane Grossman, OBSOLETE: An Encyclopedia...: Mr. Media Radio Interview

Author Anna Jane Grossman proves beyond question that Mr. Media is Obsolete!

Thanks to advancing technology and shifting mores, the amount of change we experience in our lifetimes is truly exceptional. Objects and practices that are commonplace can very quickly become outmoded. In this witty and informative collection of short essays, journalist and social commentator Anna Jane Grossman takes a thoughtful look at what everyday apparatuses, ideas, and behaviors are quickly disappearing—or else have already left the building.

OBSOLETE: An Encyclopedia of Once-Common Things Passing Us By contains essays and entries on more than 100 alphabetized fading subjects, including Blind Dates, Mix Tapes, Getting Lost, Magazines, Looking Old, Operators, Camera Film, Hitchhiking, Body Hair, Writing Letters, Basketball Players in Short Shorts, Privacy, Cash, and, yes, Books. This ode to obsolescence also includes 25 quirky pen-and-ink line illustrations to further help us remember exactly what we’re missing.

Grossman is a New York–based freelance writer specializing in lifestyle and arts and entertainment features. Her work has appeared in dozens of publications, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Elle, New York Magazine, Marie Claire, Fortune, Salon.com, CNN.com, and the Associated Press.